Free with purchase

Recover faster.

The cool blue bottle got your attention. The red cap got your heart beating. Now, you want to know more about First Endurance Optygen HP. First, know that there's a practical reason for the blue glass bottle. The blue glass is transparent enough to see through, but opaque enough to prevent sunlight and oxygen from degrading the capsules inside. The capsules look purple from outside the bottle, but when dispensed, they reveal themselves to be a dark red color instead of clear. The color here, too, is to prevent degradation of the ingredients. Degradation will make the capsules less effective.

You will want these capsules to be as effective as possible. In this second-generation Optygen HP, you get Rhodiola that's twice as strong as the original formula. The Rhodiola has 5% rosavin helping the body to adapt to high levels of physical stress. Rhodiola is also known as golden root and roseroot, and it's been taken for centuries to improve mood. In fact, recent tests have shown improved mental and physical performance.

The improved formula of Optygen HP is built to increase oxygen utilization, which increases the body's ability to adapt to high levels of physical stress and increased aerobic threshold. The ingredients should be at full-strength in order to help you train harder and to recover better from rides and races where you're giving 110%. For some people, this might be an everyday supplement, and for others, it might be something that's saved for the hardest training and racing months of the year.

HP stands for High Performance. First Endurance created this designation after it started kicked its original Optygen supplement up a notch -- revving it for better recovery and less loading. First, on the loading front, Optygen HP takes less front loading than Optygen. Optygen would take loading for a week and would be ideally used for at least a month before realizing maximal benefits. HP doesn't have a loading phase, the benefits should become apparent within six days, and then your body is in a good place until you stop taking the capsules.

Beyond Rhodiola, the other big ingredient in Optygen HP is Beta-Alanine. There's 1,500mg of Beta-Alanine per serving, which has been tested to increase muscular endurance, boost strength, exercise capacity, and to delay muscular fatigue. Beta-Alanine works with chelated chromium and ATPro to assist the amino acid carnosine in buffering lactic acid.

The First Endurance Optygen HP has 120 capsules in a bottle. Taken at the recommended dosage of four capsules a day, the bottle will last around 30 days. It is recommended that the capsules be ingested with a morning meal. Please note that the HP's capsules are made from gelatin red, meaning that they are not vegan.

View

Heed Byron's advice!

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

Beta-Alanine does work, and is the ingredient in Optygen that provides the results. As Byron noted you can buy a virtual lifetime supply of pure Beta-Alanine powder from suppliers like Hard Rhino for 15 dollars. I have almost a pound of this stuff........two re-sealable bags for 15 bucks from Amazon. A 500mg dose is 1/8th of a teaspoon. These bags will last a lifetime. The only upside to Optygen is it is in capsule form, so you can take your dose fifteen minutes prior to riding and immediately after riding. With mine, i have to mix the powder with water at home and take there, before and after. I believe you can also buy capsule "kits" and make your own pills though, as well. I love CC and don't want to take away business, but consumers interested in this product should be aware that you can get pure, vast quantities of various supplements in bulk form, for really low cost. Just research what ingredients you need from your favorite supplements.

Comment on Michael C.'s review:

Beta-alanine is the workhorse

Beta-alanine is the proven workhorse in this product. So let's then compare the pricing of that ingredient. Here we are receiving 45 grams (1500 mg x 30 servings) for $75. A tub of 1,000 grams (22 times more) of beta-alanine can be purchased for $30. So at this comparison pricing, the beta-alanine in this product should be worth about $1.35. That means you are paying $73.65 for the rest of the ingredients and packaging.

Speaking of the other mentioned main ingredient, rhodiola, you can pick up 30 grams for $8. In this bottle, you are getting 9 grams, which if priced out according to what this is widely available on the internet for should amount to $2.40. So now you are at $71.25 for the other ingredients like eleuthero and ginseng (both adaptogens like rhodiola) calcium, potassium, chromium and some other ingredients.

I take beta-alanine and like using it. I'm not saying that this product won't work either, because it will. I'm just suggesting that there is a more economical way to supplement with beta-alanine if that is what you would like to accomplish. I have no opinion on the efficacy of the adaptogens or other ingredients.

Comment on Byron D.'s review:

Superior Legal Doping

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

I'm on my 26th bottle of the new HP. The main improvements have been in recovery times. While on the bike after hard climbs the recovery time is a lot quicker so I ride faster over all. On the flats I can push harder longer again improving my overall ride times. Also, the overnight recovery is better, I don't have that "dead legs" feeling after back to back hard training days. One side effect that I noticed is that about 45 minutes to an hour after taking the 4 pills I get a prickly heat itch on my entire body, it lasts about 15-20 minutes before going away. It feels like my skin is itching everywhere from the inside out. Following exhaustive exercise, my body is fighting inflammation, battling oxidative stress, needs to repair torn muscle tissue, and has depleted essential glycogen stores. Glycogen is the primary storage carbohydrate in muscles and liver totaling approximately 2,000Kcal in a trained athlete. Muscle glycogen is generally known as the main fuel for strenuous sports activity. Unlike fat, this fuel can be mobilized rapidly under anaerobic condition, which typically occurs under various acute/exhaustive physical exercises.

Glycogen re-synthesis is the process of converting consumed food into stored glycogen. Even with optimal recovery after a hard workout, full glycogen re-synthesis is difficult to attain within 24 hours and subsequent workouts can begin to suffer. This is especially true when working out or racing for multiple days back to back. Having the ability to replenish glycogen to a greater degree allows athletes to bounce back from exhaustive exercise faster and be better prepared for the next day of training or racing.

Overall, I feel healthier and better prepared for each day's workout. I've been able to train hard and feel, overall, much less fatigued than normal. Every ride starts off great so the workout comes easier. Great stuff!

Comment on Karissa Lamb's review:

Average ride time is based on Strava activity over the last 3 months. Give your reviews credibility by connecting your account.

Edge

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

For a supplement with some sleek packaging and well crafted marketing message, heading into this I was bit skeptical. Package states you have to give it about a month to feel the effects, and while I didn't notice any major difference a week or two weeks in, the 3rd week is where I really started to reap the benefits. I'm no exercise physiologist, but I am a bike rider and using this product after a month has made me a better bike rider. Improvements in threshold power, more efficient recover blocks and better times on all the local climbs are evident that along with structured training, rest, and diet Optygen HP is just that extra edge.

It is no doubt expensive, but it could be that extra boost you need going into your main event for the year.

Comment on Shae's answer:

Comment on Nick L.'s answer:

Average ride time is based on Strava activity over the last 3 months. Give your reviews credibility by connecting your account.

Black Magic

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

I'm not exactly sure what kind of magical potion is in these little red pills, but I definitely feel an edge at higher heart rates when taking them. Sure are expensive for a daily supplement when training though.